Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

Last week in the House I raised the urgent need for a plan of action from the Government to address the economic situation. I asked what was the Taoiseach's assessment of the current economic situation and what was the Government's plan. We still have not heard anything. What we have heard is the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, feeling sorry for himself and talking about the building boom coming to a shuddering end. We have had no economic plan, no outline of how the Government views the situation or how it intends to address it. I wish to move an amendment to the Order of Business today to discuss this important matter facing the country.

Last week also I outlined the serious situation on the economic front, the collapse of public private partnerships, the rapid and sharp decline in the housing market, the Health Service Executive losing €1 million a day according to its own estimates, and cutbacks in front-line services, home care packages, speech therapy and general practitioner services. Schools have been promised accommodation but now schools throughout the country want to know what has happened to those promises. A school in my constituency, Scoil na Camoige, has been left in sub-standard accommodation and it was promised a new school last year. Where does that promise stand now?

I note today a most serious report from the ESRI, and the editorial in today's The Irish Times refers to the reality of a recession being in front of us. The recession is real, not technical. What is the Government doing about it? Where are the plans? Where is the discussion? We want the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance to come to the House to outline how they intend dealing with the situation.

We have stated on numerous occasions over recent months that the Government has been in a state of wilful denial of the seriousness of the economic situation.